Checkmate Read online

  Table of Contents

  Praise for CHECKMATE

  By the Same Author

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Prologue

  Part Three months later . . . Chapter one. Callie Rose

  Jude versus Jasmine Chapter two. Jasmine

  Chapter three. Rose is 7¼

  Chapter four. Sephy

  Chapter five. Rose is 7¼

  Chapter six. Sephy

  Chapter seven. Meggie

  Chapter eight. Sephy

  Chapter nine. Meggie

  Chapter ten. Sephy

  Chapter eleven. Rose is 8½

  Chapter twelve. Sephy

  Chapter thirteen. Rose is 8½

  Chapter fourteen. Sephy

  Chapter fifteen. Rose is 9

  Chapter sixteen. Rose is 9

  Chapter seventeen. Sephy

  Chapter eighteen. Rose is 9

  Chapter nineteen. Rose is 9

  Chapter twenty. Sephy

  Chapter twenty-one. Rose is 10

  Chapter twenty-two. Jasmine

  Chapter twenty-three. Sephy

  Chapter twenty-four. Rose is 10

  Chapter twenty-five. Jude

  Chapter twenty-six. Rose is 10

  Chapter twenty-seven. Sephy

  Chapter twenty-eight. Rose is 10

  Chapter twenty-nine. Rose is 10

  Jude versus Jasmine Chapter thirty. Jude

  Chapter thirty-one. Jasmine

  Chapter thirty-two. Jude

  Sephy versus Callie Rose Chapter thirty-three. Sephy

  Chapter thirty-four. Callie Rose

  Chapter thirty-five. Sephy

  Chapter thirty-six. Callie Rose

  Chapter thirty-seven. Sephy

  Chapter thirty-eight. Callie Rose is 11

  Chapter thirty-nine. Sephy

  Chapter forty. Rose is 11

  Chapter forty-one. Meggie

  Chapter forty-two. Sephy

  Chapter forty-three. Rose is 11

  Chapter forty-four. Sephy

  Chapter forty-five. Rose is 11

  Chapter forty-six. Jude

  Chapter forty-seven. Callie Rose is 11

  Chapter forty-eight. Meggie

  Chapter forty-nine. Sephy

  Chapter fifty. Jasmine

  Chapter fifty-one. Callie Rose is 12

  Chapter fifty-two. Sephy

  Chapter fifty-three. Callie Rose is 12

  Chapter fifty-four. Jasmine

  Chapter fifty-five. Sephy

  Chapter fifty-six. Callie Rose is 12

  Chapter fifty-seven. Sephy

  Chapter fifty-eight. Jude

  Chapter fifty-nine. Sephy

  Chapter sixty. Callie Rose is 12

  Chapter sixty-one. Sephy

  Chapter sixty-two. Jude

  Jude versus Jasmine Chapter sixty-three. Jasmine

  Chapter sixty-four. Jude

  Chapter sixty-five. Callie Rose is 13

  Chapter sixty-six. Sephy

  Chapter sixty-seven. Jasmine

  Chapter sixty-eight. Callie Rose is 13

  Chapter sixty-nine. Callie Rose is 13

  Chapter seventy. Jude

  Chapter seventy-one. Callie Rose is 13

  Chapter seventy-two. Callie Rose is 13

  Chpater seventy-three. Meggie

  Sephy versus Callie Rose Chapter seventy-four. Callie Rose

  Chapter seventy-five. Callie Rose is 13

  Chapter seventy-six. Sephy

  Chapter seventy-seven. Meggie

  Chapter seventy-eight. Sephy

  Chapter seventy-nine. Callie is 14

  Chapter eighty. Sephy

  Chapter eighty-one. Callie is 14

  Chapter eighty-two. Sephy

  Chapter eighty-three. Callie is 14

  Chapter eighty-four. Sephy

  Callum's letters Chapter eighty-five. Sephy

  Chapter eighty-six. Callie Rose

  Chapter eighty-seven. Callie is 14

  Chapter eighty-eight. Jasmine

  Chapter eighty-nine. Callie is 15

  Chapter ninety. Jude

  Chapter ninety-one. Callie is 15

  Chapter ninety-two. Sephy

  Sephy versus Callie Rose Chapter ninety-three. Callie Rose

  Chapter ninety-four. Callum

  Chapter ninety-five. Callie Rose

  Chapter ninety-six. Callie is 15

  Chapter ninety-seven. Sephy

  Chapter ninety-eight. Callie is 15

  Chapter ninety-nine. Meggie

  Chapter one hundred. Sephy

  Chapter one hundred and one. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and two. Meggie

  Chapter one hundred and three. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and four. Jude

  Chapter one hundred and five. Sephy

  Chapter one hundred and six. Jude

  Chapter one hundred and seven. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and eight. Sephy

  Chapter one hundred and nine. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and ten. Jude

  Chapter one hundred and eleven. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and twelve. Jasmine

  Chapter one hundred and thirteen. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and fourteen. Jude

  Chapter one hundred and fifteen. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and sixteen. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and seventeen. Sephy

  Chapter one hundred and eighteen. Callie is 15

  Chapter one hundred and nineteen. Jasmine

  Chapter one hundred and twenty. Callie is 15

  Jude versus Jasmine Chapter one hundred and twenty-one. Jasmine

  Chapter one hundred and twenty-two. Jude

  Chapter one hundred and twenty-three. Meggie

  Callie Rose and Sephy Chapter one hundred and twenty-four. Callie Rose

  Chapter one hundred and twenty-five. Sephy

  Chapter one hundred and twenty-six. Callie Rose

  About the Author

  Praise for CHECKMATE:

  'A gripping read from the first page' Writeaway!

  'Checkmate once again explores the lasting impact of

  prejudice, discrimination and the legacy of traumatic family

  history on the next generation in the author's brilliantly

  imagined world. Readers will not be disappointed'

  Publishing News

  'A perfect end to an important and thought-provoking trilogy'

  The Bookseller

  'Complex but beautifully crafted . . . dramatic, intensely

  moving . . . it truly ensares the reader and is well worth

  the wait' Carousel

  'Thought-provoking brilliance' Funday Times

  'Another emotional hard-hitter, the bluntly told and ineniously

  constructed story of Callie Rose' Sunday Times

  'There's no mistaking the genuine grassroots passion with

  which Checkmate, the final part of Malorie Blackman's

  trilogy, has been anticipated among young teen

  readers . . . Blackman is a terrific thriller writer, driving her

  plots forward with skill and tenacity' Evening Standard

  'This will be extremely popular among teenage girls'

  The Guardian

  'Blackman is an expert plotter, spinning her narrative

  with great skill' TES

  'Taut and brilliantly paced . . . destined to become a classic'

  Children's Books Ireland Bookfest

  'I couldn't put it down' Books for Keeps

  www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk/malorieblackman

  Also available by Malorie Blackman:<
br />
  The Noughts & Crosses trilogy

  NOUGHTS & CROSSES

  KNIFE EDGE

  CHECKMATE

  A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E.

  DANGEROUS REALITY

  DEAD GORGEOUS

  HACKER

  PIG-HEART BOY

  THIEF!

  THE DEADLY DARE MYSTERIES

  For junior readers:

  CLOUD BUSTING

  OPERATION GADGETMAN!

  WHIZZIWIG and WHIZZIWIG RETURNS

  For beginner readers:

  SPACE RACE!

  SNOW DOG

  THE MONSTER CRISP-GUZZLER

  www.malorieblackman.co.uk

  MALORIE

  BLACKMAN

  Checkmate

  This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  ISBN 9781407048048

  Version 1.0

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  CHECKMATE

  A CORGI BOOK

  ISBN: 9781407048048

  Version 1.0

  First published in Great Britain by Doubleday,

  an imprint of Random House Children's Books

  Doubleday edition published 2005

  Corgi edition published 2006

  3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4

  Copyright © Oneta Malorie Blackman, 2005

  The right of Oneta Malorie Blackman to be identified as the author of this

  work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and

  Patents Act 1988.

  This electronic book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

  Papers used by Random House Children's Books are natural,

  recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The

  manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the

  country of origin.

  Corgi Books are published by Random House Children's Books,

  61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA,

  a division of The Random House Group Ltd,

  in Australia by Random House Australia (Pty) Ltd,

  20 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, Sydney, NSW 2061, Australia,

  in New Zealand by Random House New Zealand Ltd,

  18 Poland Road, Glenfield, Auckland 10, New Zealand,

  and in South Africa by Random House (Pty) Ltd,

  Isle of Houghton, Corner Boundary Road & Carse O'Gowrie,

  Houghton 2198, South Africa

  THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009

  www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  This book is dedicated to

  Neil and Lizzy

  As always.

  I love you. As always.

  And I'd like to say a big thank-you to the

  following people, without whom the Noughts &

  Crosses series would've taken at least twice as long!

  Mum and Wendy

  Hilary – my agent, for her never-failing

  humour and patience

  Sue Cook and Annie Eaton

  Roma and Eddie

  Sean and Gill

  Lesley

  Minerva

  Hilary, Heather, Amrit, Merris, Roxanne, Nadine, Verna,

  Catherine, Sandra, Millie, Via, Elizabeth, Jill and Mary –

  friends who constantly inspire awe and admiration

  And all the other people who sent me emails

  and letters to wish me well and spur me on.

  And last but not least, this book is also dedicated to my

  mother-in-law, Molly, who never showed me anything but

  great love and kindness.

  Hope is the thing with feathers

  That perches in the soul,

  And sings the tune without the words,

  And never stops at all.

  EMILY DICKINSON

  A man's character is his fate.

  HERACLITUS

  prologue

  The General watched as his Liberation Militia commanders took their places around the imposing mahogany dining table. He studied each of them in turn. Years of self-discipline honed from childhood made it easy for him to keep his expression neutral. Six men and three women finally settled and looked at him in respectful anticipation. Most of those around the table were older than the General who, though in his late thirties, was the youngest leader the L.M. had ever had.

  'The room's clean?' the General turned to ask Morgan Green, his personal assistant and right-hand man, who sat, not at the table, but just behind him. Next to Morgan sat Tanya, Morgan's assistant. They were the General's retinue and he was hardly ever seen without one or both of them in tow.

  'Yes, sir. I've had the place swept for bugs and other surveillance devices twice. We're clean.'

  The General's searching gaze lasered slowly but steadily around the room. They were meeting in the country mansion of a Liberation Militia sympathizer who was also a prominent Nought businessman. There were one or two 'prominent' Noughts in most areas of society now. One or two. A promising Nought ballerina or successful Nought stockbroker or Nought assistant to the assistant of the Chief of Police was always trotted out and put on show for the nation's media. How clever of the dark-skinned Crosses to 'allow' the occasional pale-skinned Nought to 'make it'. Successful Noughts were a safety valve. A sop for the Crosses to point to and say, 'See! He's made it. And if he can and you can't, then that's your fault, not ours.'

  Not only was the meeting top secret, it also required the highest level of discretion. The commanders had arrived at the house over the course of the previous few nights, each under cover of darkness, in blacked-out cars and only after the surrounding area had been scanned and checked to ensure they weren't being observed. It was late winter and the sky was hauntingly dark. The damask curtains with blackout lining had been firmly drawn since mid-afternoon. Two crystal chandeliers above the vast table twinkled and glittered around the candle-shaped electric bulbs, like fairy lights on a tree at Crossmas time. Each of the walls around them was decorated with oak-wood panelling. An ornate and understatedly expensive silk rug had been placed under the table, covering the hardwood floor. Portraits and landscape paintings reflecting the owner's very conservative tastes had been hung at regular intervals over the panelling.

  'Brothers and sisters,' the General began in a practised tone. 'The General Election date has been set. In just over twelve weeks, the country will go to the polls. It's time for all of us Noughts in the Liberation Militia to make our voices heard like never before. Make no mistake, we are being watched. We're being watched by our L.M. brothers and sisters who have given up their freedom or, in too many cases, their lives, in the quest for true equality between Noughts and Crosses. Failure is not an option. In front of each of you is a folder containing your objectives. Each of you has a target which is to be eliminated before the forthcoming election. Some of the targets are strategic buildings, some are our enemies in prominent positions. As regional commanders, you will be in charge of the planning and details.' The General paused to give himself time to fix each commander with his piercing brown-eyed stare. 'I know you won't let me down. None of us in the L.M. can afford to give up this fight until we have social justice and political equality for all Noughts.'

  Murmurs and nods of assent quickly stilled as t
he General tapped impatient fingers on the mahogany table.

  'Failsafe rules apply. None of you will know about the work of the other commanders. You will each ensure that the assignments you give your lieutenants remain the province of those lieutenants and no one else. I hope that's understood.'

  'Yes, General.'

  'Of course, General.'

  'I'm also personally taking charge of the planning of a major event which will act as a devastating blow to the so-called authorities. It will take place the day before the election. We are all going to play our part in ensuring that this government is toppled.'

  'If I may ask, General, what is this major event?'

  The General turned to look at the man who'd just spoken – Jonathan Kidd, the regional commander of the South-West. Jonathan, more than any other person at the table, loved to ask questions. Inappropriate questions. Why was that? Why more questions from him than all the others put together?

  'Jon, it's not our place to question the General,' Anna Tenski, the regional commander from the Mid-West, reprimanded quietly.

  'No, Anna,' said the General evenly. 'This isn't a dictatorship. If Jon or anyone else for that matter has something to say then I encourage them to say it. I hope each of you feels able to express your ideas and voice your concerns to me at any time. I value your input.' The General turned to face Jon directly. 'It's better that you don't know, Jon. You're a valued member of my council and I know you and everyone else here would rather die than betray your brothers and sisters in the L.M., but what I have in mind will make every one of us fugitives for the rest of our lives. The Secret Service will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to hunt us down. Only two people will be involved in the job I have in mind, myself and one other. And it'll be carried out on that basis.'

  'Of course, General,' said Jonathan, not once averting his eyes. 'I want you to know that you can count on me and all I have in any venture you propose.'

  'Thank you, Jon,' said the General before turning back to face the other commanders. 'You have ten minutes to look through your folders, then I'll see each of you privately in the study to hear your initial thoughts. Analyse and memorize the contents of your folders – you will not be allowed to take them away with you.'